Moment of reckoning at the DNC

Almost two years ago, I wrote about my hopes for a challenger to Hillary in the Democratic primary. Like many, I’d been frustrated by what I saw as a lack of consistency and commitment to progressive values. So I’ve been open to criticism of her record, and attempts to nudge her in a better direction. Fast forward 23 months: While in Philly for the DNC, I had many conversations with people who don’t necessarily follow politics as closely as I do, or who get their information from less-than-scrupulous outlets, and I was stunned by the depth of paranoia and conspiracy theorizing about her. Of course, I was aware of this problem up to a point. But so many people are still hung up on Benghazi, her email server, even outlandish murder theories I’d never heard before. Most seemed scared of Trump, but were so wary of Clinton that they wouldn’t commit to voting for her. Granted, this is all anecdotal, but it was enough to leave me feeling alarmed.

I think it’s worth reminding ourselves that, in both positive and negative ways, Hillary is very much like Obama. Both have engaged in pandering to the right when it suited them, and both have been problematic on TPP, but both have also cared deeply about healthcare and many other progressive causes. If anything, Clinton is now running a bit to the left of Obama; Bernie succeeded in improving the platform in very meaningful ways. So people who think Obama is fine or at least acceptable, but Hillary is evil incarnate, are at least partly succumbing to a caricature that has been crafted over decades by the right. It would be nice if everyone could celebrate the truly historic nature of her candidacy, at least for a moment.

Related Posts

Jen Sorensen I really enjoy your strip (especially your punny sense of humor) and look forward to it every week.

Watching Hillary go through her campaign reminds me of the Peggy Lee hit of 50+ years ago–I’m a woman. (see below) In the end that’s all Hillary has gong for her–along with the politically correct last name of a former president–and a very obtuse ADD opponent.

There isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between what either candidate will pursue–the only difference is one of style. Whether it is lying Hillary or doofus Donald:

The weekly kill list will keep our drones (complete with hell fire missiles0 flying.and killing innocents where ever the president decides is the target du jour..

TPP will pass the rubber stamp Senate and more jobs will vanish from the US.

There will be more pointless provocations of both China and Russia which could break out into open hostilities.

There will be more violence across the US (whether from angry white or angry black men).

So let’s enjoy the historic moment of the first woman and the first obtuse moron fighting for an increasingly meaningless ceremonial title.

Who knows, though? Maybe Hillary will have an achievement which surpasses passing a healthcare reform plan from a conservative think-tank.

Poet

You forgot Indira Gandhi, who gifted India with nuclear weapons and a crooked son named Sanjay!
Unlike Julius Cesar I am reluctant to cross the Rubicon! I understand your sarcasm and I have been there myself.

This year the US voting electorate has a choice between an inept and incompetent crook (that’d be Hillary) and a loony tune (The Donald). It’s a “heads or tails you lose” proposition.
The worse thing about this entire mess is that the more the media takes glee in pointing out how many establishment pols are appalled with Trump, the greater his support grows.
The popular media still doesn’t get that it’s not just Bernie supporters who are “feelin the Bern”–it’s a lot of angry and desperate people in rust belt of the upper Midwest, in Dixie, and across the plains. Further, the electorate is just as angry at the corporate media and its sycophants as it is at the political establishment.
Dr. Jill Stein (the other woman running for president) is going to get a whole lot of those Bernie voters who are tired of being treated like yesterday’s moldering garbage by the corporate establishment types like both of the Clinton’s and Obama. Maybe enough to swing several key states to The Donald.
My dream come true would be to see the Greens and Libetarians win enough electoral votes to allow neither Trump nor Hillary to win a majority. Then we would get to see the exquisite agony of the majority Republican congress having a choice between their own party’s candidate (whom they hate!) and the devil incarnate (whom they also hate!). Welcome to our world paragons of privilege!

Rubicon

Honestly, I’m for the LP’s Gary Johnson. If I had the time I could go into exquisite detail on why libertarians are morons but on some issues their hearts are in the right place – even if their heads are up their a@@es. Johnson may make some headway on civil liberties issues but won’t have the political clout to make things worse or to prevent a robustly liberal congress (hopefully!) from making things better.

Poet

I hear a report that Gary has made a resolution to not smoke any dope if elected president. What a guy!

Despite Samantha Bee’s very funny and entertaining video on Johnson, Johnson and Weld have something that neither Clinton,Trump, Jill Stein, nor all their running mates have–they have actually governed.and been reelected to their offices.